This word typically means forever, perpetuity, long duration, or eternity. It's one of Hebrew's most important time words, referring to indefinite long duration either in the past (ancient times, of old) or future (forever, everlasting). It appears throughout Scripture in phrases like 'forever and ever' and 'from everlasting to everlasting.' In 2 Chronicles 33:7, there's an unusual form that may be a variant spelling or textual issue where Manasseh sets up an idol in the temple 'forever,' though some scholars propose reading the standard form 'olam' here. The term's fundamental sense is duration beyond normal reckoning—time stretching beyond what humans can measure or imagine, making it suitable for describing God's eternal nature and His everlasting covenant.